DOH: Stroke emergency drug for free in 26 hospitals

- The DOH announced that alteplase, an emergency drug for stroke, will be made available for free in 26 government hospitals nationwide.

- Alteplase is ideally given to patients within the first three hours of the onset of an acute stroke

- One vial of this emergency drug usually costs P80,000 in pharmacies

Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Paulyn Ubial announced on Tuesday that the stroke emergency drug called alteplase will be available for free in 26 government hospitals nationwide. The drug – ideally given within the first three hours of the onset of an acute stroke – costs around P80,000 per vial.

“Alteplase is truly a life saving drug, and every stroke patient eligible to receive it, should have access to it. It is not acceptable that a patient who cannot shelve out P80,000 will be deprived of this emergency medicine at a time when this is needed the most,” the DOH secretary said.

Last June, President Rodrigo Duterte picked Ubial as his Health Secretary. According to the President’s Chief Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo, Ubial was chosen for her integrity, competency and experience. – Kami Media